Tokyo notes - Buying and tasting whisk(e)y

Ichiro's Malt Chichibu French Oak Single Cask #2357 (photo from Isetan blog)

Just a super quick post to remind myself (and to share with you) to always visit the alcohol section in the basement of Isetan Department Store in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The main reason, aside from its rather reasonable selection of wines (reasonably priced if you compare them to HK, but then again, HK is ridic), is the whisk(e)y selection and tasting bar. Yes, a bar in a department store.

Swine, pig, H1N1, it's all tonkatsu to me: Part II

While waiting to go to the famed Tonkichi, my tonkatsu cravings brought be to another place about 300m away, also in Causeway Bay, called Butagumi. It's been called a cheaper, but worthy contender of Tonkichi. I gave them a call about an hour before I intended to arrive and was told that they were fully booked, but that I could try and walk in, because they usually have a few seats reserved for last minute people like me, yay.

Got there and was told the dining tables were full, so would I mind a bar seat? Nope - it looked comfortable enough.

The customary sesame